PaddlingLight

In early November 2025, several people were f’ing around on a breakwater during a gales warning on Lake Superior, and they were about to find out. Waves ranged from 10 to 12 feet, and they were breaking over the breakwater. A large enough wave hit and washed one of the group into Lake Superior. The video below shows the wave and the woman getting washed into the big lake. Water temps were around 50°F, which is very cold. Luckily, she survived. While I’ve written about cold water before, this was a good reminder to write about it again. Читать дальше...

Learning how to stay warm in your sleeping bag can transform your paddling trips, especially those taken in the shoulder seasons. I’ve spent many nights waking up shivering at 3am with my teeth chattering so hard that I thought I’d crack a molar and many more in that half-sleep state knowing that I was too cold but already wearing every piece of clothing I brought. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks that changed everything. Now my nights are comfortable, and yours can be too. Understanding... Читать дальше...

While I never thought that I’d be reviewing a thermometer on PaddlingLight, last time I ordered from Garage Grown Gear, I decided to pick one up. I got the ThermoWorks ThermoDrop Thermometer. It’s a simple zipper-pull thermometer. Why? I decided that I wanted to figure out exactly how my sleeping bags were working for me in different temperatures, so that I could more accurately decide which one to bring. What is the ThermoDrop Thermometer? The ThermoDrop is a small thermometer designed for a zipper. Читать дальше...

I’ve been looking for a new stake bag to replace my old one when I came across a spooky and fun bag from Hilltop packs. It’s the Vampire Killing Kit Tent Stake Bag. I’ve used Hilltop bags in the past and love their bear bag and rock throw kits, so I knew that I’d be getting good stuff. The tent stake bag comes in several prints, including the Vampire Killing Kit, Groundhog, Steak Stake, and Don’t Lose Me varieties. I laughed out loud at each one, but the Vampire one really struck me in the heart. Читать дальше...

Daily, it seems that there’s a new attack on America’s public lands. This is occurring even though over 74% of Americans support public lands, the public lands are seeing record visitation showing a strong desire of the American people to experience what the lands have to offer, and a $1.2 trillion outdoor economy that supports over five million jobs. The anti-public land politicians continue to try and chip away at protections and sell off our lands. Republican Senator Mike Lee (Utah), the guy... Читать дальше...

Earlier this year, I had purchased a sleeping bag even though I wasn’t planning on getting a new bag. That purchase didn’t work out, and after a multi-month hassle I got a refunded. With the refund and a bit of extra cash, I picked up a Western Mountaineering FlyLite sleeping bag as a replacement. My idea about picking up this bag was that I could get a bag that was slightly lighter than my old quilt and just as warm but with less hassle. I also wanted a new sleeping bag for the summer and the shoulder sessions near summer. Читать дальше...

On Sunday, September 21, Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, Wisconsin, announced the closure of his store effective at the end of 2025, but Canoecopia will continue.

I recently saw a lightweight gear manufacturer offer an ultralight titanium pen with two refills for $20. It’s actually kind of cool, but I have a lightweight pen hack that weighs about the same and costs about $1. If you’re into fancy pens, you’d probably like the one that I saw, but if you like functional things that cost very little, then my hack is for you. I’ve been using this hack for decades. The hack is simple. You get yourself a G2 Pen Refill pack and use one of the refills. Then where you normally hold a pen, you add a tab of tape.

Today, BioLite launched the Range models of headlamps. I was lucky enough to receive a BioLite Range 400 before the launch to review. It’s one of the more exciting headlamps that I’ve been looking forward to reviewing this year, because it offers a new feature that I haven’t seen on a headlamp before: a dimmable light. What Is It? The BioLite Range 400 headlamp is a lightweight headlamp with a dimmable white spot light and red light mode. It features USB-C rapid charging that provides one hour... Читать дальше...

This summer, my 10yo took a wilderness skills class offered by the Friends of the Boundary Waters and run locally in Grand Marais by Sarah Bransford, Friends’ Northern Education and Outreach Coordinator. At the beginning and end of the course, Bransford had the kids complete an exercise designed to help the students and the instructor identify how skilled students were in important outdoor wilderness skills. This exercise could be completed by anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors. The exercise... Читать дальше...